Fender shield attaching clamp



m 1945- A. P. FERGUESON ET AL 2,372,070

FENDER SHIELD ATTACHING CLAMP Filed Aug. 9, 1941 2, Sheets-Sheet l Amnue1 fireeuzsolv GEORGE W JcHAT MA/V March 20, 1945. A. P. FERGUESON r AL IFENDER SHIELD ATTACHING CLAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 9, 1941 GEORGEW. Jcl-IATZMAN Patented Mar. 20, 1945 UNITED (STATES PATEN -1 OFFICE.

V FENDERSHIEESZ T EZiiCIHNGCLM 7. v I I i i Detroit, Mich, assignors toHoudaille-Hershey Corporation, Detroit, Mich, ,a corporation of MichiganApplication August 9, 1941, Serial Nb. 406,208 4' Claims. (01. 2292-87)This invention relates to fender shield and fender shield constructions,and more particularly to a fender shield attaching clamp.

In the vehicle industry, and particularly in the automobile industry,various means have been utilized to improve the appearance of vehiclefenders. The usual vehicle fender is provided place and which mayreadily and easily be disengaged to release the fender shield fromengagement with the vehicleienderr As the term fender shield shallherein after be employed, it refers to any member which is adapted to besecured to a fender or other portion of a vehicle body for the purposeof covering the opening in the fender or vehicle body which is providedfor access to or removal of the vehicle wheel. Furthermore, as the termfender shall hereinafter be employed, it refers to any form of wheelfender in its broad sense, whether such fender be separate from thevehicle body, partially separate from the vehicle body part, or actuallyan integral part of the vehicle body, and whether or not it projectsoutwardly away from the principal body portion of the vehicle. It is anobjectof the present inventionto provide a novel fender shieldconstruction and more particularly a fender shield construction havingnovel attaching means thereon. I

It is a further object of this invention to provide a fender shieldconstruction and an attach;

ing clamp therefor which'is economical to manufacture, which is ruggedand reliable in use, and whichpermits the ready and easy mounting of thefender shield in place on the vehicle :fender. Another object of thepresent invention is to provide a novel fender shield attaching clamp;

Another and further object of the present invention is to provide aresilient attaching clamp or finger which is carried on a laterallyadjustable rigid pedestal.

Another and still further object of the present invention is to providean attaching clamp having a rigid attaching finger pivotally mounted formovement about a vertical axis and having a resilient spring fingerbearing thereagainst for vention'itself, however, both as to itsorga'niaation and manner of construction, together with further objectsand advantages thereoLmay best to the accompanying be understood byreference drawings, in which: v i

Figure 1 is a rear elevational' view of( a vehicle render and fendershield assembly; I Figure'2 is a greatly-enlarged fragmentary'sectionalview through the'ifender shield attaching clamp as taken along thelinen-+11 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view throughthe scuff pad on theleading edge ofthe tender as taken along the lineIII--III of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the attaching clamp shown in Figures 1and 2;

Figure 5 is. a perspective view of .a modified form of clamp which maybe employed in plac of the clamp sho'wnzin Figure: 4;. and,

Figure .6 is a perspective view of a thirdtype of clamp whichmay beemployed in place of the first clamp shownain- Figures 1', 2 and 4.

Referring nowto Figures 1; 2 and 410i the drawings,'; which illustrate:one embodiment ofv the present invention; there is illustrated therein avehicle fender l0; having a.v fender shield H mounted thereon over thewheel accessopenmg l2 inthe, outerfdepending, side wall l3 of the fenderI0. While the fender Ill may assume a wide variety of shapes withoutdeparting from thespiritandscope of the present invention, and while arear view only of the full fender has been shown, it isto, be understoodthat the-fender to is of the socalled high crown typefi which scommonly. employed on automobiles of the presj ent day.v

The fender shield 11 is detachab ly mounted on the vehicle *fender H]andv is positioned to cover the relatively-large opening I2 in the outerside wall 43 of the fender H). The fender ID is pro-' These flangeportions H and I5 of the fender H1 stiffen the fender in a manner wellknown to those skilled in the art.

The leadingface of the fender I0 is eq ipped, with a scufi pad it whichis formed of rubber or some other equally suitable'material which willact as a protective shield. Scuff pads are frequently employed on theleading face of the rear tenders ofautomobiles of the present day,

but the scuff pad shown and described hereinis preferably of thetypedescribed and claimed'in our co-pending application-for patent entitledurging the former into clamping engagement I Fender and fender shieldconstruction, United States Serial No. 377,174, filed February 3, 1941,and assigned to the same'assignee as the present invention. Thisparticular'typeofscuff. pad as shown at 15, has arearwardly extendinglip pori! whichforms with the rear edge .of the scuff made channelshaped. recessls which is adapted to receive and has seated therein theleading edge 20 of the fender shield H. The scufi pad I6 is preferablyreinforced by a metal plate member 2! which extends across the rear faceof the scuff pad throughout the major portion of the body thereof, butwhich is embedded in the outwardly flaring lip H (see Figure 3)-.

The scufi pad 16 is bonded or otherwise secured to the fender ID in anysuitable manner.

As may be seen best in'Figure l, the outer marginal portion of thefender I is provided tends upwardly behind the panel portion 24 from thebase flange 25 to the top of the fender shield where it is secured inany suitable manner (not shown). The strut 26 has a latching arm 21mounted thereon as at28 and includes an upper short leg portion 29 and alower long leg portion 30. It will be understood that the short legportion is arranged to be rocked. into latching engagement with thefender ID by angular movement of the long leg portion 30.

The fender shield I l is vertically supported on the fender I U by thenested engagement of the leading edge of the fender shield in thechannel formation pocket [9 formed by the rear edge 18 and the lip H ofthe scufi pad I8. Due to the curvature of the lower portion of the lip11 f,

and the rear edge 18 of the scuif pad l6, as is shown by the dottedlines in Figure 1, the forward edge 20 of the fender shield II is ineifect hooked into the channel formation and obtains both verticalsupport as well as lateral restraint.

The rear edge of the fender shield II is supported by a latching means3| which may be seen best in Figures 2 and 4." The latching means 3|includes a relatively rigid pedestal 32 and a resilient latching finger33. The rigid pedestal 32 is adjustably mounted on' a supporting tongue34 which is bolted tothe base flange v of the fender shield II as at 35.The tongue 34 has a long slot 36 therein which extends at right anglesfrom the face of the fender shield. The upper face of the tongue 34 isserrated as at 31. The rigid pedestal 32 has afoot or base portion 38which is serrated on its-under face to fit and interlock with theserrations on the upper face of the tongue 34. The foot 38 carries abolt 39, a washer 40 and a nut 4|, which cooperate to hold the pedestalmember 32 in any desired adjusted position Within the rangeof movementas defined by the slot 36.

The upper portion of the pedestal 32 is bent stantially a horizontalplane and a terminal portion 46 which extends substantially verticallydownwardly. The intermediate portion is arranged to be seated on thebase flange M of the fender I9 thereby to vertically support the rearend of the fender shield H. The terminal portion 46 and the pedestal 32prevent outward movement of the fender shield away from the fender.While both'the pedestal 32 as well as the' terminal portion 46 of thespring finger 33 are shown in direct engagement (Figure 2) with the edgeof the base flange M of the fender l0, it will be understood that eitherone alone may be in engagement with the edge of the base flange 14 toprevent outward movement of the fender shield ll away from the fenderID.

The body portion 44 of the resilient finger 33 acts as a cam surfacewhich guides the resilient finger into proper engagement with the baseflange l4 when the fender shield is rocked in a substantially verticalplane to position the fender shield H on the fender i0.

In order to mount the fender shield H on the fender in, the latchinglever 21 is rocked to a position where the short leg portion 29 is belowthe top edge of the fender shield. The leading edge 20 of the fendershield is then inserted into the pocket formed by the lip i1 and therear edge 13 of the scufi pad 16, the shield being held with thetrailing ends thereof slightly below the fender Ill. The shield is thenrocked upwardly in substantially the plane of the fender opening untilthe resilient finger 33 is snapped into place over the base flange [4 ofthe fender It].

To remove the fender shield H the terminal portion 43 of the resilientfinger 33 is grasped with the hand and depressed away from the fenderill thereby to free the corner formed by the intermediate portion 45 andthe body portion 44 of the resilient finger 33 from the inner edge ofthe base flange l4. Simultaneously the latching lever 21 is rocked toplace the short leg portion 29 below the top edge of the fender shield.The fender shield H may now be readily and quickly lifted out of placeon the fender.

In Figure 5 a second embodiment of the present invention is illustratedinsofar as the latching means at the trailing end of the fender shieldis concerned. It is to be understood for the purposes of thisillustrative embodiment of the in vention that the remaining portion ofthe fender shieldand the fender are the same as described in connectionwith Figure 1. As shown in Figure 5 the latching means 4'. is providedwhich includesa pedestal 48 having a foot portion 49, and a loop portion59 which provides :a pair of resilient latching fingers. The fendershield H in this embodiment of the invention, is provided with the sameserrated tongue 34 which is slotted in the manner previously described.The latching means 41, in this particular embodiment of the invention,is formed from a, single stamping of resilient material. Sincerelatively thin material may be employed, a block 5! is preferablyprovided between the pedestal base portion 49 and the serrated tongue34. The lower surface of the block 5! is serrated to mate with theserrations of the tongue 34. Bolt and nut means 52 are of course rovidedto secure the latching means 41 in any desired adjusted position withinits range of movement.

As is clearly shown in Figure 5 the stamping is formed in such a manneras to include two body portions 53 which extend down at an oblique angleto the vertical. Two intermediate portions 54 are similarly providedwhich are integral with the portions 53 and which extend insubstantially a, horizontal plane. The stamping also includes a pair ofterminal portions 55 which are integral with the intermediate portions54 but which extend downwardly in substantially a vertical plane.Finally, the stamping includes a terminal coni been cut, from a isintegral with the ternecting strip 56 which minal portions 55 and whichextends therebetween and below the tongue 34. It is to be understoodthat the above latching means is preferably a one-piece latchingmemberwhich has single sheet of resilient metal stock.

The intermediate portions 54 of the latching means 41 provide verticalsupport for the fender shield i I by virtue of their seated engagementon the base fiange I 4, the terminal portions 55 pre-v vent lateraloutward movement of the fender shield llaway from the fender ill andalso provide manipulating means for moving the inter mediate portions 54out of engagement with the base flange l4.

The fender shield of the embodiment of the invention illustrated inFigure 5 is mounted and dismounted from the fender in substantially thesame manner as that described in connection with the'first embodiment ofthe invention.

In Figure 6 of the drawings a third embodiment of the present inventionis illustrated wherein a. different type of latching means has beenemployed in the place of the latching means at the rear end of thefender shield shown in Figures 1 to 4.

More specifically, the embodiment of the pres,- ent invention shown inFigure 6 comprises a latching means 51 which includes a pedestal 58having a foot or base portion 59, a rigid, pivotally mounted latchingfinger 60 and a spring biasing finger 6|. The pedestal 58 is adjustablymounted on the serrated tongue 34 in the same manner as that describedin connection with Fig- .ures 1 to 4 of the drawings, it beingunderstood that the under surface of the foot portion 59 is serrated tomate with the serrations on the tongue 34. The pedestal 58, as inthe'oase of the pedestal described in connection with Figures 1 to 4 ofthe drawings, is preferably formed of substantially rigid material. Thefinger 60 in this case difiers from the finger described in the previousembodiments, in that it also is preferably formed of substantially rigidmaterial and is hingedly or pivotally connected to the pedestal 58 as at62. A supplemental spring finger 6| is riveted to the pedestal 58 as at63 and is arranged to extend out over a substantial portion of the rigidfinger 60 and to resiliently bias it toward the fender. The rigid finger60 includes a principal body portion 64, an upper lip portion 65 whichis inclined at an oblique angle to the vertical to provide a camsurface, a horizontal rearwardly extending portion 66 which is arrangedto be seated on the base flange 14 of the fender l0, and a terminalportion 61 which extends downwardly in substantially a vertical plane toa, point slightly below the base flange 25 of the fender shield ll.

The fender shield whichincludes the embodiment of the invention shown inFigure; 6 is mounted on the fender ID in the same manner as thatdescribed in connection with Figures .1

' to 4. As the fender shield I I is rocked upwardly into place the upperlip portion 65 cams the finger 60 into position over the base flange 14of the fender l0.

grasped and moved rearwardly to disengage the finger 60 from the fenderIll. Either the pedestal 58 or the terminal portion 6'! of the finger 60act to restrain outward movement of the fender shield II away from thefender l0 when it is in mounted position on the latter.

The terminal portion 61 may be While we have shown certain particular'embodiments of our invention, it will, of course, be

understood that 'we do not wish to be limited thereto, since manymodifications may be made,

and we, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover all suchmodifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of our invention.We claim as our invention:

1. A fender shieldattaching'clamp for securing a fender shield to afender comprising a supporting member mounted on' and extendinglaterally away from the fender shield, a substantial- 1y rigid pedestaladjustably mounted on said supporting member for adjustable movementtoward and away from said shield, and a resilient finger secured to theupper part of said pedestal and projecting downwa dly for engagementwith the fender.

2. A fender shield attaching clamp for securing a fender shield to afender comprising a supportingmember mounted on and extending latfingersecured tothe upper part of said pedestal and projecting downwardly,said finger having a substantially horizontal portion in proximity toing its lower edge for seated engagement on the fender thereby tovertically support the fender shield on the fender.

3. A fender shield attaching clamp for securing afender shield to afender comprising a supporting plate mounted on and extending laterallyaway from the fender shield, a substantially rigid pedestal adjustablyvmounted on said plate for adjustable movement toward and away from saidfinger secured to the upper part of said pedestal and projectingdownwardly, one portion of said finger being bent to extend insubstantially a horizontal plane when said shield is in mountedengagement on the fender, and a second portion of said finger being bentto extend in substantially a vertical plane, said horizontally bentportion being arranged to provide a fender and said vertical portionbeing arranged to provide lateral restraint for said shield on saidfender.

4. A fender attaching clamp for securing a fender shield to a fendercomprising a supportplate mounted on and extending laterally away fromthe fender shield, a substantially rigid pedestal adjustably'mounted onsaid plate for adjustable movement toward and away from said shield, anda resilient finger secured to the upper part of said pedestal andprojecting obliquelydownwardly and toward said shield, then rearwardlyaway from said shield in substantially a horizontalplane when saidshield is in mounted engagement on the fender, and finally downwardly insubstantially a Vertical plane, the oblique portion of said finger beingarranged to provide a cam surface for guiding said finger into latchingengagement with the fender, the horizontal portion being arranged toprovide a vertical support for said shield, and said vertical portion ofsaid finger being arranged to hold said shield laterally against saidfender.

ARTHUR P. FERGUESON. GEORGE W. SCHATZMAN.

vertical support for said shield on said

